ALASKA—In a place where so many people depend on harvested foods to support their families, communities and elders throughout the year, it is critical for residents’ voices to be at the center of regulatory processes like Alaska’s Federal Subsistence Board.

There is a growing effort rooted at the University of Alaska Southeast Sitka Campus in partnership with the Sitka Conservation Society and Forest Service to bring fresh student faces into the room. In this instance, it’s a room in Anchorage, where in early February, a four-day Federal Subsistence Board meeting was held. The board is a decision-making group that oversees the management of subsistence use of fish, wildlife and other resources on federal lands and waters. 

Nearly a decade ago, Heather Bauscher sat quietly with a notebook attending one of her first Federal Subsistence Board meetings. Today, as an adjunct instructor, Bauscher hops from chair to chair, quietly narrating the meeting like a play-by-play commentator sharing insight with the students who were with her.

“I wanted to show students that they are welcome in these spaces. That they are not outsiders, but vital participants,” said Bauscher. “We’re not teaching the students to advocate in any one direction here, but we’re teaching them how to navigate the process as a whole, think critically about these issues and consider what they might do if they were in the decision-making seats.”

The dual-enrollment course brings high school and college-aged students first into the classroom to learn about the process and then into the meeting space to actualize that learning. The class has been gaining traction, and this year, the university began allowing students to count credits earned through the course toward their Fisheries Technology Program. Additionally, in partnership with Hoonah Indian Association, the program hosted three Hoonah students who joined the Sitka classroom remotely. In total, seven students participated in the class and traveled to the meeting.

Abigail Stevenson, a high school student from Hoonah, is one of seven students who took part in this year’s meeting. “I was born and raised in Hoonah, and I have hunted, fished and foraged my whole life with my aunties, uncles and my parents,” Stevenson said. “Taking this class opened my eyes to what’s going on at these meetings, and how I am able to be involved as a subsistence user.” 

In addition to support from the university and other partners, funding from the Forest Service has bolstered this program since the outset, helping with student tuition, travel expenses and other operational costs associated with the course. 

“We are grateful that the Forest Service recognized the significance of this program and continue to provide support including, this year, assigning agency staff to help co-teach the class with me,” Bauscher concluded.